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Preparations for Republican National Convention in Tampa

Good afternoon, welcome to the last Call. Iâm Rob Lorei. Tens of thousands of people from around the country and around the world are expected to come to Tampa when the Republican National Convention takes place here at the end of August. Tampa police expect up to 15,000 protesters to be outside the convention site. Already labor, student, farmworker,civil rights, peace, and welfare rights groups have indicated an interest in demonstrating outside the convention. Here to talk about the preparations for the convention are John Dingfelder who is a senior staff attorney for the Florida American Civil Liberties Union and a former Tampa city council member. Also here is Rick Danielson who has been covering preparations for the convention for the Tampa Bay Times.

Last week the mayorâs office proposed a new city ordinance that would be in force during the convention that would create whatâs called a Clean Zone in which any protest would be limited to 60 minutes and in which knives, axes, mace and clubs would be prohibited. The Clean Zone would include the area of Tampa south of Columbus Drive, Rome Avenue to the west, Davis and Harbour Islands on the south , and 22nd Street on the east.